The Best Wines for Thanksgiving 2016

Last year, we asked the country's wine experts to weigh in on a question we’ll likely be pondering in the next few days: What’s the best wine to pair with turkey? We liked their answers so much, we thought they would apply for 2016, too. Here’s what they had to say.

Go red, but keep it light

Guímaro Mencía, Tinto, Ribeira Sacra, Spain 2014

"There's so much going on at the Thanksgiving table that no one's seeking the greatest food and wine pairing. For me, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to share a bottle that excites me and with a great story behind it. I'll be bringing Guímaro Mencía, Ribeira Sacra. This juicy, light-hearted yet subtly complex red is super food friendly and works really well with turkey and cranberries. But, more important to me, it's a wine from a farmer practicing polyculture (a sustainable form of agriculture that uses multiple crops in the same space) and who is growing vines in one of the harshest terrains ever."—Caleb Ganzer, Head Sommelier, La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, NYC

"I go with the tried-and-true Beaujolais. This region is one of many undergoing a renaissance right now, where the next generation is coming on board making more exciting wines than ever before. Classic producers like Lapierre and Foillard are the benchmarks, but there are also exciting wines from Sunier and Deschamps. These wines are light bodied but have lots of character: brambly red and black fruits, baking spices and a soft texture unique to this region. All of these traits make Beaujolais a super-versatile wine, in particular for the sweeter foods at the Thanksgiving table."—Paul Einbund, Beverage Director, Frances and Octavia, San Francisco

"My go-to wine for Thanksgiving is a classic Beaujolais-Villages or Cru Beaujolais. This year, I’ll be bringing Marcel Lapierre. I think the gamay grape is perfect for the meal, whether you’re doing cranberry sauce, turkey, or roast or smoked ham. If you fry the turkey, it’s great, too, because there’s enough juiciness and acidity to cut through all that fried richness."—Phillip Dunn, Wine Director, Spago Beverly Hills

"There are several wines that work great with Thanksgiving dinner, including an off-dry German Riesling or a Côtes du Rhône. But I would recommend a Zinfandel. It’s an American wine that has the ability to be both elegant and light with some tart fruit that complements the cranberry sauce. But it also has a lot of ripe fruit flavor, like raisins and dates, which make it full-bodied and rich without the tannins that might overwhelm the turkey."—Laura Maniec, Master Sommelier and Owner, Corkbuzz Wine Studio, NYC

Surprise them ...

"I usually lean towards wines that are a little off the beaten track. So, not your typical Beaulolais or Pinot Noir, but something in the same style, like an Austrian Blaufränkisch or a Corsican red wine: light, a little bit savory, a little bit spicy but with good acidity."—Michelle Biscieglia, Wine Director, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, New York

"I love bringing cider to Thanksgiving dinner. It’s refreshing and delicious and evidence suggests that cider was the beverage consumed at the first-ever Thanksgiving. Favorite producers at the moment include Eve's Cidery, in upstate New York, as well as Eric Bordelet's lineup from Normandy, which we pour at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Má Pêche."—Jordan Salcito, Beverage Director, Momofuku, NYC

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Choose from the sommeliers' favorite whites for a Thanksgiving pairing.

"Bubbles are also a wine win for Thanksgiving. Instead of Champagne, I love to open a special cider like Cidrerie du Vulcain from Switzerland. It’s affordable and delicious, like the adult version of apple picking."—Ashley Ragovin, Pour This, L.A.

Savart Premier Cru Bulle de Rose Brut, Champagne, France

"I’d go for a Rosé Champagne. It gives you all the bubbly, fresh goodness you want from Champagne, but it also has a little bit of red-fruit character, which makes it versatile for food. You can pair more food with Rosé Champagne than with regular Champagne, which is important on an occasion like Thanksgiving, where there are so many different dishes. You can drink Rosé Champagne all the way from appetizers through the turkey—it’s actually fantastic with turkey!"—Thomas Pastuszak, Wine Director, The NoMad, NYC

... Or stick to the classics (with maybe a twist)

"I like to bring a beautiful, traditionally-made Rioja. You get a velvety texture, succulent red fruit flavors with both floral and herbal elements, and a soft, powdery tannic structure. Good Rioja can be reminiscent of Red Burgundy (a standard at the Thanksgiving table) and you can get it for a fraction of the price."—Matthew Luczy, Wine Director, Melisse, L.A.

"I always like to bring different styles of Loire Chenin Blanc. Starting with some bubbles: Pét-Nat or traditional-method sparkling wines, like the wines of Vincent Carême in Vouvray or Damien Delecheneau in Montlouis-sur-Loire. Then, a great dry and powerful Anjou Blanc or Savennières like Mark Angeli, Benoit Courault or Eric Morgat. And finish with some off-dry and sweet treats from Domaine Huet or Patrick Baudouin."—Pascaline Lepeltier, Beverage Director, Rouge Tomate, NYC

Hermann J. Wiemer Off-Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, USA 2014

"For this holiday, I am all about America, America, America, and specifically off-dry Rieslings from the Finger Lakes of New York state. The Thanksgiving plate is a cornucopia of flavors and finding one wine that pairs well with the turkey, gravy, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, and whatever other special dish mom brings to the table is nearly impossible. So just forget the specifics and go with yummy and yummy: a Riesling with great acidity and a dollop of intense fruitiness, and you will be a very happy camper."—Paul Grieco, General Manager, Terroir | Tribeca and Terroir on the High Line, NYC